Clothes wringer



J. J. WOOD.

CLOTHES WRINGER. APPLICATION FILED APR BeiS'sued Jan. 10, 1922.

Inx/entor James J .\/-/ood., E0

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JAMES J'. WOOD, OI F FORT"W A.YI\TE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE'ASSIGNMENTS, TO

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,

cno'rnns wnmenn."

A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Original No. 1,327,690, dated January BS1920, Serial No. 246,646, filed July 25, 1918. Application for reissue filed April 5, 1921.

To all whom it may concern."

Be 1t known that I, JAMES Wayne, inthe county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Clothes Wringers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in some features more particularly to clothes wringers intended to be power driven, as is the case where they are used in conjunction with power washing machines, and in some particulars it bears more especially on a safety release for permitting Sudden removal of the tension between the rolls, as is sometimes requisite to prevent injury to the hands of the operator ordamage to materials being wrung. M,y invention consists in the features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims. In the drawing wherein I have illustrated anembodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a front elevation, with parts in section, showing the construction of the wringer and its association with the power shaft, 2 is a a detail of a clutch shiftingmember, and Fig. 3 is a detail of a frame member for the power roll.

In the drawings 10 indicates in general the wringer frame, shown as comprising end castings 11 and 12 connected by a bridge or top member 13, such frame supporting the lower and upper rolls 14 and 15 and the.- pivoted drip board 16. The frame as an entircty is secured at its end member 11 to a. rotatable head lif lcarried by a supporting bracket 18, rigidly mounted in any suitable fashion, not shown, with respect to the fixed support such as the washing machine frame. A latch structure 18' associated' with the bracket18 locks the rotatable head 17 in adjusted position onthe bracket, and a shaft 19, driven from a suitable source of power, shown, extends up through the bracket '18 .to connect with reversing gearing 20 within the head 17 to drive the shaft for roll- 14.

- In the specific construction shown the side casting 11 of the wringer frame has a ballbearing 21'for ashai'ft 22 of roll 14, the opposite extremity of the shaft being supported in a similar ballbearing 21 in end casting 12. Each ballbearingpreferably has its cup member forced into the frame part,

. J. WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Serial No. 458,763.

whereas the shaft makes a neat but slidable fit with the inner, or grooved member. The shaft has a squared end to detachably engage an element of the spur gear couple 23, that is housed in a chamber 24 of frame member 12 and the cover plate 25 for such chamber screwed to the frame end 12, has an aperture 26 to give access to the polygonal extremity 22 of shaft 22, so adapting the wringer to receive a hand crank. The other member of the gear couple 23 is mounted on the squared end portion of shaft 27 for the upper roll 15,

Specification of Reissued Iietters Patent. Reissfled J an. 10, 1922. I

and this shaft is supported in ballbearings 28 in vertically movable guide members 29, each of which is a casting guided vertically between lugs 29 of the frame ends and the sides of the bridge 13. Each guide has pendant limbs'30 that straddle the shaft 22 between roller 14 and the proximate end and the spring that spans between them. Upon top of the bridge is a boss or dome 35 having a downwardly opening circular recess 36 with which communicates a slot 37, v

the side walls of which are formed to afiord bearing fora pintle 3B for a latch lever 39. Through the top of thedome there is an opening 40 loosely to receive a screw or. threaded spindle 41 hearing a hand wheel 42, this screw preferably extending through a relatively large opening 43 in lever 39, and within the dome engaging a circular nut 44 sh tted as -at-45 along one side and capable of axial movement to the extent of the height of the dome-recess. The downwardly extending head oflever 39 constantly engages in the slot 45 and has a tooth 46 to engage the top ofthe nut when is shaped to work in slot 37 with edge 37 as a back-stop. It

its nose 47 is fully in the slot 45, at which I time the horizontally extending handle por; tion 39' of the lever-is fully raised by the action of coiled spring 48 that seats, in opposedrecesses in the lever and the dome. Accordingly when the parts are in the normal position shown in- Fig, 1 the upward pressure on nut 44 tends to lock the handle 39 raised, and nut 44 is held near the bottom of'the dome-recess against both rotary displacement and axial movement by the head of lever 89. Obviously by turning screw 41 the point of the spindle, bearingon the center of spring 33, may be screwed down to put the spring under desired tension and press the rolls 14 and 15 together. Downward pressure exerted on handle 39 moves the tooth 46 0f latch lever 39 into reglster with slot 45 in the nut so that the latter, re-

lieved ofvertical restraint, will spring up into the top of the dome. Thismotionis enough fully to relieve the pressure between the rolls and prevent'injtiry to the hand of i the operator or to material in passing between the rolls. Of course to restore the lock to normal position the spindle will be screwed back untilnut. 44 can drop1 again under the tooth 46-of the late, which the threaded spindle'is turned toretension the spring 33.

In. the arrangement wringer I prefer that head 17 shall have a tubular'base extension 50 I rovided withseveral vertical slots 51 and into a tubular bearing portion 52 of racket 4 18; On ears 53. of the bracket'I'mount a pivot 53" for the latch 'l's' the nosetof which may enter any one of, the appropriate slots 51 as the latch is-press'ed home by its: sprin 53"; By pressing on the handleof the late the head 17 is freed to' rotatein' its-fposition of ad'ustment with respect to the bracket 18," I and t e head is freed forvdetaeh nent-from the bracket.

[The shaft 19 If preferably alike to telescope non-rotatably with a polygonalend of a shaft stub'19f' that extends vertically through the head. 17 y and has, rotatably mounted thereon','tw'o beveled gears 54'and i ternally carries the; operating handle 61. 'A detent ball 62 sprmg supported in a re leaves the wringer idlei1 55 each provided with, clutch teeth '56. for enga ement with the teeth of a clutchmemher 5 ,that is slidable'on but rotatablewith' shaft section 19'. Bothloosegearsen age.

gear 58 slip fittedv on the uared en of wringer ShitftYQZ, Tliejclntc element-57, when in neutral position as shown. in Fig. 50-

1, disengages both, at the beveled gears. andand for throwing the clutch to'eng eit er gear selectively, the grooved'centra zone 57 of thelel 'utch is engaged by a roller 59' mounted eccentrically on-a stud 60 that extends'through a bearinginthe end wall of the head"17 and excessin saidend .wall, enga es, in: the three critical positions of the stu 60, with depression 63,- so that the operating handle 61- tends always to reside in one of its critical posi tions. j t

Among the advantages ofthe' construction it may be pointed outtbat the removability down after for swinging. the.

extendin down vent rotation. an

of the entire head 18 with thewringer, and shaft stub 19' attached is very desirable, to facilitate packing, making repairs, etc., and the removability of the rolls is especially advantageous. One has but to loosen screw 34 at the rightof Fig. 1 to detach head 12 and with it "remove gears 23 from the squared shaft ends. The rolls on their shafts may then be removed from engagenient with their hearing rings, shaft 22 slipping out of engagement with gear 58. The,

arrangement for enabling the wringer to be hand operated-by attaching a handle to shaft 22' is also very desirable. 1 While I have herein-described insome detail a s ecific embodiment of my invention, it will-lie understood that changes in particular construction may be made without departure from the spirit of my invention within the scope ofmy appended claims. What I clan'n is:

1'. In a clothes wrin a bridge, a roll relative yfixed in said frame,

er, a frame having a roll relatively movable in said frame, a 7

single spring for acting on both ends of the last'said roll to fpress 1t toward the other, a

tension screw or said spring, a nut for said screw through which it 1s screwed to I tension the s ring a housing carried by the v frame in which Sald screw and nut are an ranged'to move axially, and a latch carried by said frame engaging said nut so as to'prethereof, saidlat'ch movable to free the nut for vertical displacement.

2, In a wringer, the combination with the lower ,roll, the upper roll bodily movahletoward and; away therefrom, inner frame. members afi'ordin hearing at opposite ends in the upper rol'fi between said members, a single tension screw a spring spanning I vertical displacement bearin Jon the center of said spring, a-nut on sai screw, a main-frame" providing a 'spacein which said-nut and screw ma have a xial;"moveme nt,"and a latch for said-nut carried-b vertical s ot therein, and said latch having said frame, said but having a an end normally engaging the slot and the top of said nut to prevent .both rotation and a axial displacement and movable to. engage only the slot to prevent rotary displacement 1 while nut.

ed by'a bri ge having a downwardly open channel and a central downwardly opening dome, a lower roll supported in said frame end, anupper roll, end bearings therefor, a

3.- A wrmferha-ving frame ends connectpermitting axial displacement of the tension s ring spannin between said bear-.

ings and coated in the c annel of the bridge, a sinfle screw loosely extendin through said ome engaglng the center of t e spring, a nut on sai screw axially slidable' in said- 'do1ne,'a lever pivoted'in said dome having a head passingthrough an opening in the side of said dome, said head being provided with a tooth 46 and said nut being provided with a receptive slot 45 substantially as described.

4. In a clothes-wringer, a main frame having a removable end member and an op posite end member, a head connected with said opposite end member, gearing in said head a'roll having a shaft making endwise slip connection with an element of said gearing, a companion roll and its shaft, a ver tically slidable guide-frame therefor located between the end members of the main frame, connecting gears demountably connected with theouter ends of'said two shafts, and bearings for the roll-shafts demountable from said shafts and carried respectively by the main and guide-frames, whereby upon removal of the detachable end member the rolls can be removed.

5. In a clothes-wringer a main frame hav ing a detachable end member, a head carrying an opposite end member, bearing in said head, a roll having a shaft slidably engaged with an element of said gearing, an upper roll having a shaft guide-frame, bearings for the upper roll in the guide-frame, bearings for the lower roll in the end members of themain frame, the removable end member of said frame afforded a chamber,

connecting gears slidably engaging the roller shafts and arranged in said chamber, wherebyupon removal of said end member the rollers may be detached endwisefrom their bearings and gear connections.

6. A wringer having frame ends connected by a bridge having a downwardlyuopen channel, lower and upper rolls supported in said frame ends, end bearings therefor, a tension spring means engaging said bearings and located in the channel of the bridge, a screw which at its lower end engages said spring means, said screw extending upward between the side walls of the channel-shaped bridge and freely through an opening in the top wall of the bridge, a nut vertically movable with the screw, a lever pivoted on the frame to one side of the screw and provided with a part adapted to engage the nut to hold it from vertical movement, said lever being movable in a vertical plane to disengage said part from the nut, means which at .all times holds'the nut against rotative movement but permits it to move vertically, and a hand wheel on the upper end ofsaid screwfor turning it to adjust the tension on the rolls.

7 A wringer having frame ends connected by a bridge having" a downwardly open channel, lower and uppenrolls supported in said frame ends, -end bearings therefor, a tension spring means engaging said bearings and located in the channel of. the bridge, a

screw which at its lower end engages said spring means, said screw, extending upward between the side walls of the channel shaped bridge and freely through an opening in the top wall of the bridge, a nut vertically movable with the screw, a lever pivoted on the frame to movei'n a vertical plane, said lever having a part'whic'h holds the nut from vertical movement, said screw projecting upward beyond said lever, means which holds the nut from rotative movement, said lever when moved in a vertical plane on its pivot releasing the nut to permit it to move axially, and a hand wheel on the upper end of said screw for turning it to adjust the tension on the rolls.

8. In a clothes wringer, a frame comprising end members and a bridge, rolls mount ed in the end members, springs means for putting said rolls under tension, a screw which passes freely through an opening in the bridge and at its inner 'end engages said spring means, a nut on the screw which nut is adapted to move vertically a lever pivoted on the bridge to move in a vertical in the end members, spring means for putting said rolls under, tension, a screw which passes freely through an openlng 1n the bridge and at its inner end engages said spring means, a nut on the screw which nut is adapted to move vertically, a lever pivoted on the bridge to move in a vertical plane, said lever having a part which engages the nut to hold the nut from vertical movement, upward pressure of the nut on the lever part acting to hold the lever in raised position, said lever when moved, downward disengaging the part from the nut to release the nut for vertical movement; and means for holding the nut from turning. I

10. In a clothes wringer having a frame, rolls, and a screw for increasing and decreasing the tension on the rolls, the combination of a nut on the screw, a lever pivoted at one end on the frame to move in a vertical plane," and having a part which engages the nut to hold it against vertical movement, said part; lyin on the same side of a vertical plane in cluding the axis of the lever pivot as the free end of the lever whereby upward pressure of the nut on the part acts to hold the lever in raised position, said part being adapted to be released from the nut upon downward movement of the free end of the lever.

11. In a clothes wringer having a frame, rolls, and a screw for increasing and decreasing theftenslon on the rolls, the combination of a nut on the screw, a lever pivoted at one end on the frame on ahorizontal pivotso asto swing in a vertical plane, said pivot being at one side of the nut with the free end of the lever extending to the other, side thereof, a' tooth carried by the lever and adapted to engage the nut to hold it from vertical movementfsaid toothwhen in engagement'with the nut lying on the same side of the pivot as the free end of the lever v U whereby upward pressure of the nut on the tooth acts to hold the lever in raised position and downward movement of the free end of the lever moves said tooth from en- .ga ement with the nut.

11 witness whereof, I have hereunto set hand'this 1st day of April, 1921.

3 'JAMES J. wool). 

